All posts tagged: punk

Punk is really more of a catch-all genre term than a unified sound; everything from Black Flag to The Clash to Television falls under the umbrella, but you’re unlikely to confuse any of those radically different bands for each other. If anything, punk is defined by an attitude more than any specific sound: it’s defiant, primal, and wholly cathartic. These are 11 of the best films about punk that embody that ethos of liberation through rock n’ roll. Jubilee (1978, Derek Jarman) Derek Jarman was an iconoclast in everything he did; never one to make a conventional film, his work stretches from Blue – a solid blue screen with him providing voiceover for 90 minutes – to The Last of England – an impressionistic vision of the apocalypse with poetic narration in place of a plot or dialogue. Jubilee is decidedly less extreme than those two films, but it’s still far from box-office-friendly. It’s hardly heavy on narrative, and what plot there is is pretty bleak; the story follows Queen Elizabeth I as she time …

These are the definitive five greatest times I’ve been hit in the face at shows – if you read any article this year about a small college student getting his ass kicked over and over again, please make it this one. #5: Elbowed in the nose Artist: All Your Sisters Venue: Non Plus Ultra I’m at a show with Jamie Stewart from Xiu Xiu headlining. The third act of the night, a very rad post-punk/goth rock band called All Your Sisters is playing; I’m two beers in and very much in my element, just buzzed enough to get more confident than I have any right to be. I worm my way into the tiny mosh pit that has formed close to the front, but the second I enter a boy is launched at me like a cannonball from the opposite side of the pit. His elbow swings upwards into my nose and knocks me right back out of the mosh pit. I am reminded of my own mortality. #4: Shouldered in the chin Artist: Perfect Pussy …

written by Nathaniel Stephens This past couple of weeks have been quite the upset for the punk community of the Los Angeles area. Jim Smith, owner of DTLA venue The Smell, released a notice stating that the property owners were planning to demolish the building sometime in the future. The response was huge, everyone in the scene reached out and gave their remorse. A petition manifested encouraging the stay of the building; already, over 8,000 signatures have been received. I have fond memories of this place and the scene there. My heart goes out to Jim and everyone affected. The Smell was established in 1998. The all-ages drug free environment is dedicated to artistic expression, creative ingenuity and individual liberty. It has become a safe haven for those who just couldn’t seem to find a niche in today’s society, who faced rejection after rejection until they decided to settle at The Smell, making it for most a home away from home. The Smell prides itself on being a community-oriented, not-for-profit organization, built on the foundation of D.I.Y. …

Psycho Lilac, originally named Ramona Has A Pulse, is an up-and-coming artist from Northern Ireland. Tiarna Armstrong, aka Psycho Lilac, talks about her new project, her live shows, the Belfast music scene, and being a literal one man band. Reporting, interview, and transcribing by Managing Editor Katie Carson. TIARNA SPEAKS: Describe your sound? “This is a tricky one. I would say it’s quite psychedelic, but, I listen to a lot of punk music, so there’s a little bit of punk in there. But, it’s also quite dream-poppy, sort of… It’s really hard to explain, because I try to incorporate so many different genres that it’s hard to exactly pinpoint what mine is.” So, who would some of your influences be? “I would say some of my main influences would be, like: DIIV, Warpaint, The XX. At the moment, I am obsessed with Grimes. I can’t get enough of Grimes; everything she does is immaculate, and I just adore her.” That’s cool. OK, so. I was listening to your music, and Remnants (Demo 2) really …